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by iab 1890 days ago
I always think about Richard Feynmans take on awards and honors whenever these things get brought up: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fes-kqRDRoY
1 comments

I wonder if there is a correlation between being super good and having a disdain for awards or not.
Probably akin to how if you are truly competent you don't need to oversell yourself.

The smartest PhDs I've ever met in Silicon Valley NEVER TOLD ANYONE they had PhDs. The dumbest ones ALWAYS led with "I'm a PhD" or "call me doctor"!

Do you have a disdain for awards?
Yes, I hate awards. In my own experience, awards have only inflated my ego, and has not led me to become more productive or passionate about the things I excel at.

It made me complacent and less likely to go above and beyond at work, possibly because I have the feeling that I've already "reached it", whatever that means.

It’s the only attribute Feynman and I share ;)